Love conquers cold on wintry Valentine's Day

Borough workers John Milakeve, left, Ernie Bineda, right and Bill Orr, in the hole, work to repair a water main break Friday on Jefferson Avenue, between Spruce and North Hanover Streets.
Mercury Photo/EvanBrandt

Jarrod Hill, 12, and Giovany Arroyo, 13, made some spare cash Friday shoveling walks on North Hanover Street in Pottstown.

Unless you really, really, really love the snow, Friday had the potential to be a damp and dreary Valentine’s Day for the winter-weather-weary.

But it would appear that love truly conquers all, including the worst Old Man Winter has to throw at us.

Angela Tedesco, shop manager for Pennypacker and Son Florist of Phoenixville, said that when she got up Friday and saw the sun shining, she just knew it would be a good day — despite the (many) inches of snow. After some early morning organizing and adjusting to the schedule, the shop’s four delivery drivers hit the road.

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“There’s a lot of snow out there, but it could have been worse,” Tedesco said. “We’ve been calling our customers to let them know their flowers have been delivered safely. We’re on schedule.”

Pottstown Florist owner Kathy Reifke said the day got started with a tow truck pulling one of the shop’s three delivery vehicles out of the snow Friday morning.

Since then, however, deliveries have been going slowly – but they have been going.

“Lots of people have called – saying their significant other didn’t go to work today and that they needed to change the delivery address,” Reifke said. “We’ve been doing quite a bit of rerouting.”

“We’re doing awesomely today,” said Gwen Fray, one of the floral designers at Beth Ann’s Flowers in Royersford. “All the deliveries are just about out the door, people are coming into the shop. We’re ahead of the game. We thought the day might go a bit differently, but it’s been smooth sailing.”

The same could not be said for the water main on Jefferson Avenue in Pottstown.

In another example of what might well be called the winter-of-the-water-main-break, borough crews were out again Friday afternoon, ankle deep in freezing water.

“We’re whipped,” said worker John B. Milakeve. “We were out last night plowing and I slept here because I knew we’d have to do more today. I’d like to see my family one of these days”

Down in the hole, where water was spewing from the cracked water main and being pumped out into the street, worker Bill Orr insisted he could still feel his feet.

“My boots are waterproof,” he said with an unlikely grin.

Also grinning was Victoria Carr, 11, who was bringing her new guitar out for a spin after the loss of water sent her family in search of another location.

“I also play flute and piano,” Victoria said proudly.

But that grin disappeared when she was asked if she likes shoveling snow.

“No,” she replied a little too quickly for her brother Andrew, 14, who laughed out loud.

Her mom, Melanie Carr, said “we were just in my boyfriend’s house and suddenly the water went off. I called him and said we didn’t have water in the kitchen and we thought maybe a pipe burst,” she said, relieved that there was no damage to the house. “I was down in the basement trying to figure out how to turn the water off.”

Up the street, Jarrod Hill, 12, and Giovany Arroyo, 13, were trying to take the snow worries off the minds of North Hanover Street homeowners.

The two were out shoveling walks, and said they had made $10.

This was preferable, both agreed, to being in school.

Shoveling was the primary task of the day, and those hoping to get mail delivery should know that unless the mail carrier can reach your mailbox without getting out of their vehicle — walking routes excepted of course — the mail won’t be delivered warned postal officials in both Pottstown and Royersford.

But don’t be fooled.

One reasonably warm, reasonably sunny day does not mean we’re out of the winter woods yet.

Montgomery County has extended the Code Blue winter weather alert until noon on Wednesday, Feb. 19.

A Code Blue is issued when winter conditions pose a threat of serious harm or death to those without shelter because air temperature and wind chill combined make the temperature feel like 20 degrees or less.

The National Weather Service has forecast snow for Saturday, mainly before 4 p.m. with a high near 34 degrees.

Chance of precipitation is 80 percent and new snow accumulation of one to three inches is possible.

About the Author

Evan Brandt has worked for The Mercury since November 1997. His beat includes Pottstown, the surrounding townships and the Pottstown and Pottsgrove school districts, as well as other varied general topics like politics, the environment and education. Reach the author at ebrandt@pottsmerc.com
or follow Evan on Twitter: @PottstownNews.